‘Two State Solution? No Chance!’ Israeli Minister Speaks Out

In an interview given to the Times of Israel on Wednesday (June 5) and reported the following day, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon said what most already know: The current Israeli government will never implement a two-state solution.

There has never been any discussion within the government about the two-state solution:

‘Look at the government: there was never a government discussion, resolution or vote about the two-state solution,’ Danon said. ‘If you will bring it to a vote in the government — nobody will bring it to a vote, it’s not smart to do it — but if you bring it to a vote, you will see the majority of Likud ministers, along with the Jewish Home [party], will be against it.’

Netanyahu is not in favor of a two-state solution despite his claim that he supports it because:

… the prime minister tied the creation of a Palestinian state to conditions he is certain the Palestinians will not agree to. ‘He knows that in the near future it’s not possible.’

For good measure, Danon states that Israel will continue to build in East Jerusalem regardless of what the international community thinks.

Speaking about the international community’s routine condemnations of Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, Danon declared that the government can do whatever it pleases, wherever it pleases.

‘The international community can say whatever they want, and we can do whatever we want,’ he said.

The Times of Israel article mentioned a number of powerful members of the current government who “are staunchly opposed to a two state solution, advocating instead the partial or complete annexation of the West Bank to Israel.” They are: Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Deputy Knesset Speaker Moshe Feiglin, and coalition chairman Yariv Levin.

Despite this reminder that the two-state solution is an illusion, there are still some that cling to the concept as “the only realistic option.” They include such diverse figures as Tzipi Livni, John Kerry, Jeremy Ben-Ami and Norman Finkelstein. All of the afore-mentioned, except Finkelstein, envision the future Palestinian state as one with severely curtailed sovereignty.

Mondoweiss is devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective. Mondoweiss is maintained by Philip Weiss and Adam Horowitz. Weiss is 55 and lives in New York state. Horowitz is 37 and lives in New York City. "We maintain this blog because of 9/11, Iraq, Gaza, the Nakba, the struggling people of Israel and Palestine, and our Jewish background."

2 Responses to ‘Two State Solution? No Chance!’ Israeli Minister Speaks Out

abbushuki09/06/2013 at 4:54 PM

2-staters believe in false demographics. The Arab fertility rate has dropped radically and Israelis has risen. They also falsely believe that Arabs could outvote Jews.
Only citizens can vote. Permanent residents can only become citizens by pledging allegiance to the Israeli flag.

Hamas will eat pork before that happens.

So there is no vote threat should Abbas follow through with his threat to dissolve the P.A. June 20 if Israel does not surrender by then. Israel can easily return to July 1967 and bring peace by taking over.

abbushuki09/06/2013 at 4:16 PM

Finkelstein only speaks for the Arabs, not Jews. Ben Ami represents extreme leftists only. No one should confuse either witth elected representatives in Israel as does this article.